


it is the exact opposite of alone

by mikkal



Series: young volcanoes [1]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: (Actually humorous and funny pranks), (Who's not billy), Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Asexual Character, Canon Autistic Character, Chronic Pain, Disabled Character, Drabbles, Fluff, Headcanon, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Krispy Kreme, Multi, Music, Nightmares, OT5, Panic Attacks, Physical Disability, Pranks, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Sacrifice, Sickfic, Slow Burn, Social Media, Torture, cliches and tropes abound, did I mention slow burn, oneshots, pre-OT5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 08:25:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10553190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkal/pseuds/mikkal
Summary: we talk in the dark as we fall asleep and we are objects in the night sky outside of time. (it is the exact opposite of alone.) - asw : 917trials and tribulations of being a teenage superhero with teenage problems and superhero obstacles.





	1. purr

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a slow burn fic of drabbles and one shots (mostly oneshots).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason's leg didn't magically heal when they got the Power Coins.

**Angel Grove PD** @ _agpdofficial_

Main Street is open to public traffic. See angelgrove.gov for more information on the closed businesses & the clean up time table. # _standstrong_

08:00 AM – ** December 20** – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

**krispykreme✓** @ _krispykreme_

Two weeks until our grand re-opening in # _AngelGrove #CA_. Who’s excited for our new Power Rangers line?

10:05 AM – ** December 20** – via. Tweetdeck

* * *

  
“The town’s curfew’s been changed again.”

Jason grunts his acknowledgement, curling even more over his knee to fiddle with the straps of his brace. It pinches this one annoying spot on the inside of his knee and the edge rubs against his shin. He hadn’t noticed until he took it off to head to the mine for training and there was a blood blister and a welt left behind.  
  
“It’s nine, now, by the way,” his dad continues.  
  
He doesn’t answer him, doesn’t even respond this time.  
  
His dad sighs, making Jason focus even more on making sure his brace is settled and comfortable. Being a Power Ranger hadn’t healed him like he’d hoped. It just made him a little sturdier, yeah. The underlying burning pain is still there, but now he can go for longer without the brace before it really hurts - but when it does hurts, it _hurts_.  
  
There’s a sound - his dad shifting at the door, a crinkle of fabric of his hand going to the back of his neck like he does when he’s uncomfortable - but he never says another word. Jason glances at him out of the corner of his eye and sees confusion and concern, and the moment when his dad realizes he has no idea what to say.  
  
That seems to be a common thing lately, being at a loss for words. Even before his stupid prank. Maybe he dad saw this downward spiral long before Jason ever acted on it?  
  
He pulls on the last strap securely then stands carefully, testing his weight on his leg. There’s only the barest twinge of pain along his nerves. It bolsters his hope enough that he takes a deep breath and takes an exaggerated step forward.  
  
The moment his good leg leaves the ground, pain burns through his knee up to his hip and down to his toes. His vision goes white for a too long second and he goes weightless towards the ground. Hands grapple for his arms, but they’re too late to keep him from crashing against the floor.  
  
His knee bangs _hard_ on the floor, his ears ring, his mouth floods with the taste of blood as he bites through his cheek ( _again_ ). The sound that strangles out of his mouth is inhuman, guttural and loud as he curls forward around the source of the pain. Vaguely he’s aware of tears on his cheeks and his sister’s voice high in fear asking _what’s wrong oh my god what happened._  
  
“ - ason. _Jason, breathe._ ”  
  
There’s a comfortably heavy hand splayed open palmed on his chest, smaller hands touching his cheeks carefully like he’s going to break. He groans, head rolling, but Pearl’s hands refuse to let go of his face.  
  
“You back with us, bud?” His dad’s face swims into clarity slowly - _whoa, when was the last time he called me bud_? “Jason?”  
  
He groans again, managing to nod. “Y-Yeah,” he croaks out. “I’m with ya.”  
  
His dad frowns, but, for once, Jason can see the expression for what it is : fear. “You need to be more careful. It’s only been a couple months.” He helps Jason sit up, careful not to jostle his leg. “Pearl, grab some water please.”  
  
“Yeah, I - Yeah, hold on.”  
  
“And a bowl!”  
  
Jason stares up at his dad, his head feeling like mush and the whole world fuzzy. Why does he need a bowl too? Ugh, why does he feel so out of it? All he did was fall. It hurt. It hurt _a lot_ , but no big deal, right? The fight against Goldar was so much worse. Hell, the training against the Putties has been worse than this fall.  
  
“You bit your cheek,” his dad says, voice low.  
  
Oh….right. Bowl. He swirls his tongue in his mouth, copper bursting along his teeth., and winces. He really needs to stop doing that, at this rate he’s going to get some not-so-fun scars in his mouth.  
  
“I fell,” he finally says, his own voice sounding far away.  
  
His dad pats his back. “Yeah, you did, bud.”  
  
Jason shakes his head. “Why...Why do I feel so weird?”  
  
“I don’t know. Did you take any of your hydrocodone today?” He carefully eases Jason until he’s leaning against the couch, never taking his hand off Jason’s shoulder as he ducks his head to meet his eyes. He shakes him slightly, knocking Jason from the haze he slipped into. “Hey, hey, look at me, please.”  
  
He looks up and smiles, instantly regretting it when he remembers the blood and remembering how Billy and Trini reacted when he smiled last time he bloodied his mouth. Apparently it made for a terrifying sight, to see blood smeared on his teeth and staining his lips.  
  
“I took some last night,” he answers slowly, furrowing his brows in concentration. “But not today.”

“Have you been doing your PT?” He sighs when Jason just stares at him. He cups his son’s face, dragging a rough thumb over his cheek. “Have you been sleeping?”  
  
Jason opens his mouth to lie, then snaps it shut, shaking his head ever-so-slightly. “No,” he admits, the word cracking in the middle.  
  
“Nightmares? About the Encounter?”  
  
He nods, his throat tightening and eyes burning. He can’t stop seeing Billy in his dreams - dead and never waking up and all his fault. He can’t get everyone’s screams as they burn out of his head. This time they don’t form the Megazord. This time they all burn to the bottom of the pit until there is nothing left. Rita takes the Zeo Crystal and everyone dies. Because of him. Because he _can’t do this he can’t stop asking him._  
  
And he can’t tell his dad or his mom any of this. He can’t tell Zordon. He can’t even tell his team. They...they would just see it as him trying to be their macho leader and carrying all the guilt when he shouldn’t.  
  
(but he should. _He should_. Billy _died_. They all could’ve _died_ and it’d all be his _fault_. Leader or not.)  
  
Maybe they got over some hurdles when they dealt with the twins and their first meeting with Apex, but he _knows_ they’ll just see him trying too hard and unworthy of being their team leader. And who is he kidding? Billy should be the leader. Or Trini. Or Kim. Or Zack. Why did Zordon have to pick _him_?  
  
“Jason?”

He sucks in a shuddering breath, borderline sob. Pearl curls against his side, lifting his arm to wrap it around her shoulders, her own arm going behind his back and her other over his middle to hook her hands on his hip. She rests her head on the crook of his shoulder, squeezing tight.

“I wish I could make it better,” his little sister whispers.  
  
And the floodgates open. Everything from the last month and a half - all the exhaustion. All the frustration. The anger. The fear. The panic. The pain - It just comes from him in bone rattling sobs. Pearl keeps him from curling over, from drawing his legs up and burying his face against his knees. His chest aches, his face throbs, his throat burns and burns. He presses a hand over his eyes, embarrassment hot on his cheeks and neck, his other hand clutches his sister close to him. He’s probably hurting her - his strength -  
  
But when he tries to let go, she refuses to move.

His tears stop before the sobbing, dragging dry, rough noise from his chest. He’s grounded by Pearl and the hand his dad has on his shoulder and the other on his chest. It feels like forever before he’s finally calmed down - his face swollen and probably blotchy, his throat scratched raw.  
  
The first thing his dad does is make him take a sip of water, swish it around, and spit it back out into the bowl. The second is make him take an actual proper drink. The third is tell Pearl to get her things. He vaguely aware of her protesting and his dad arguing _if your school is still standing you are going to school jason’s taking a sick day._

‘Jason’s taking a sick day’ jars him from the place he started drifting to and he shakes his head, moving to push himself off the floor.

“No, no arguments.”

“But I - .”

His dad holds him down a little firmer and, hell, where did his Ranger strength go? “I said no. Jason, you look awful. You’re taking a sick day.” He sighs, dragging a hand through his hair to rest on his neck. “I don’t know why you won’t tell me what’s going on. I know we haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye lately, but - Jason, something’s going on. Something big. And I’d like you to at least tell me something.”

Guilt curls in his stomach. “I’ve been getting nightmares,” is all he says. Built in excuse, why not?  
  
“Okay,” he replies, sounding defeated. “Okay. Come on. Let’s get you on the couch - or do you want your room?”

“Couch.”  
  
Jason grits his teeth, leg screaming at him as his dad helps him shift up onto the couch. Deft fingers unstrap his brace and tug up the leg of his jeans. His dad hisses between his teeth, rolling his pants up even more.  
  
“Oh, Jay…”  
  
The skin around his knee is an ugly blue and purple color, the welt on his shin is an angry red, and blood trails down his leg from the blister that apparently both reformed then promptly broke. His whole leg is strangely cold and covered in red blotches. He yelps when fingers press against his ankle, pain flickering and burning from the contact.  
  
“I’m going to grab you your meds and make an appointment with the doctor,” his dad says, standing. “You, stay here while I take Pearl to school, okay? I’ll grab some sweatpants and your laptop. I don’t want you moving from this couch.” He sets the water bottle on the side table. “And drink that.”

Jason’s hand is shaking as he lifts the bottle to his mouth, sweat drying on his forehead and the back of his neck. Ugh. He should...he should tell his team - _no, they’re friends_ \- that he won’t be in school today, shouldn’t he? Would it matter? He’d like to consider them his friends, but he is kind of reckless and angry and all his problems are really his fault, maybe they don’t want to deal with that?  
  
God, when did he get such a low self-esteem?

(it’s all his own making. What is he thinking? Zack and his mom, Billy and his dad. Trini and her whole family. He had the perfect life and he threw it all away, he really needs to get a grip on himself.).

He texts them anyway in their group chat - not really expecting a reply. Pearl kisses him on the cheek as she passes to head to the truck. His dad drops off an armful of things, including what he said he was going to get, plus a pillow from his bed and his comforter, another water bottle, his crutch, a box the cereal he prefers dry, and a sweatshirt.  
  
A red sweatshirt. Faded, but red.  
  
“Don’t move unless you absolutely have to.”

And then he’s gone, leaving Jason alone on the couch, wishing he’d asked for the book he’d been reading. Or, well, one of the five he’s been jumping through. Maybe he’s got something downloaded on his computer?

He pops the hydrocodone, going for a little more than the recommended dosage, and carefully changes into his sweats before curling up on the couch in a way that doesn’t make his knee worse. As it is, there’s a steady throb of burning pain radiating from his knee to his hip, even cramping his stomach a bit. It’s still strangely cold under the blankets, uncomfortable, but not uncomfortable enough to keep the drug from lulling him into sleep.

Not even the rapid chiming of his phone keeps him awake enough.

* * *

  
Sam’s making soup for dinner - and by make, really, he’s slow cooking chicken soup in a crock pot as he goes over the mountain of paperwork in his office, murder investigations and boat finances free time does not make - when the doorbell rings.  
  
He glances in the living room to make sure Jason’s still asleep. And he is, Pearl curled up on his back with a book she has to read for school. Beverly picked up a double shift for a co-worker who called out, so it’s not her accidently forgetting her house keys (she keeps meaning to hook her house keys with her car keys but is strangely averse to the idea?).  
  
He won’t admit it outloud to anyone but his wife, but he’s Goddamn worried about his son. Has been for a while now. Maybe Jason doesn’t see it, but there’s been something off about him since last school year and it finally came to head with the stupid Beefcake prank. He hasn’t pried, but now he’s thinking that might have been part of the problem.  
  
And now, with this whole alien mess and the Power Rangers? He’s too scared to ask.  
  
Sam answers the door, half distracted, and does a double take when he sees who’s there. Kimberly Hart he recognizes after seeing her cheering at all of the games and now seeing her every Saturday when he drops off Jason. The other boy he doesn’t know, but he sees him too on Saturdays and hanging out with Jason in front of the school other days.  
  
“Mr. Scott!” Kimberly says, looking surprised. “Hi, sorry to barge in like this. I’m Kim. This is Billy.” Billy waves quickly. “Jason wasn’t in school today and he texted to say he wouldn’t be but he didn’t say what was wrong. Is he okay?”  
  
He takes a step back and eyes them critically. Billy is wearing a dark blue jacket and Kim’s shirt is a blinding pink only offset by the black jacket she has over it. He sighs, if these children are as subtle as his son, he has a feeling as to why they’re suddenly showing up on his doorstep and why Jason texted them out of everyone.  
  
“He will be,” he answers. Crock pot soup makes a good amount, even with the calories Jason’s suddenly started packing away, he muses. “Come in and see for yourself.”

Kim’s eyebrows almost reach her hairline in her surprise - he faintly wonders what Jason’s been saying about him - but she steps past him. Billy claps his hands in a quick beat, belting out a half-thought of thank you as he passes. Kim’s comes off jacket the moment her feet touch rug despite the cold air still breezing in.  
  
Red. Blue. Pink.  
  
“Should I be expecting anymore of you to show up?”  
  
Kim is going to spend this whole visit in perpetual surprise and shock if she doesn’t stop assuming things about him. Granted, why should she know he guessed about their extra curricular activities? (There has to be a good reason why Jason won’t tell him.)  
  
“Yes!” Billy says finally. “Zack Taylor and Trini. They should be here soon too, to check on Jason.”

He doesn’t recognize those names, but he’s sure he’s going to know who they are when he sees them. Which one’s Yellow and which one’s Black?

“Jason’s asleep on the couch right now.” He gestures towards the living room. “His sister’s with him. I’ll send the other two when they get here.”

Sam doesn’t head back to his office, instead he follows them to the living room, stopping just outside the doorframe in the shadows. Pearl says her hellos and goodbyes in rapid succession before carefully climbing off her brother to head to her room.

Jason’s been sleeping all day, barely getting up to eat and use the bathroom. On on hand, at least Sam knows he took his meds, on the other, that makes his worry climb a few more notches.

Now he’s laying on his stomach, ankles hooked on the far armrest, one arm curled under his pillow and the other hanging off so his fingers brush the floor. His hair’s a mess and the bruises under his eyes have never been so prominent before. Jason’s always been on the pale side of white, but now he looks almost ashen.

The comforter is sliding off, exposing his legs to the air. His sweat pants have scrunched up to his thighs during his shifting, showing off the colorful canvas his leg has become.

Billy hesitates visibly before he touches Jason’s head, carding his fingers through his hair. Kim grabs the hand hanging on the floor, tangling their fingers together and bringing it up to rest them both on the couch. She’s kneeling in front of him, almost eye-to-eye.

“He should be awake by now,” Billy says, voice just on the wrong side of not-soft-enough. “We’re here. He should be awake and aware. He always knows when one of us is around. Why won’t he wake up?”

“He’s drugged up,” Kim answers, clicking a nail against the orange bottle. “Don’t worry, Billy. It’s for his leg. He’ll be okay.”

“I thought he’d be healed, though,” Billy argues then looks thoughtful. “No one said that, though. Did they? No one said that the Coins would heal his leg. And he’s the only one who was hurt like that. I just thought - he was doing everything with us and he seemed okay. He seemed okay, right?”

“Shh,” she hisses, eyes flickering to where Sam’s hidden. “Remember, we can’t tell anyone. And yeah, he seemed fine.” She reaches over to fix the comforter so it’s over Jason’s legs, something soft in her expression. “Maybe the coins just made it harder to hurt. I mean, we did get hurt during training and all that. Maybe we heal a little faster, but we’re not Superman or…or Captain America.”

Billy shakes his head. “No, we really are more like Ironman.”

He sounds so disappointed by that. Kim pats his arm reassuringly, then goes to tap Jason’s cheek.

“Hey,” she says softly. “Hey, Red, time to wake up.”  
  
As if that didn’t confirm it _at all_. God, they’re only teenagers!  
  
Jason’s eyes flicker under his lids and he groans.

“Yeah, that’s right. Wake up. You’re not setting a good example for the rest of your team, lazing the day away.”

“Screw you,” he mumbles. His fingers twitch and, as if realizing he can’t move them, his eyes flutter open, gaze a little unfocused. “Kim?” he slurs out. “Billy? What are you doing here?”

“Checking up on you,” Kim answers. “You can’t just tell us you’re not going to be in school then not answer your phone all day.”

“All day?”

The confusion on Jason’s face has another stab of worry and fear go through Sam. He tenses, waiting to see if it will all come back to Jason or if he really doesn’t realize he’s slept the day away.

“It’s five-thirty-two at night,” Billy tells him. He crouches so he closer to the same level. “We’ve been texting you all day. Zack almost left in the middle of History when he realized you weren’t there. But Kim managed to get him to stay.”  
  
Jason continues to stay looking confused. “My phone…” He reaches from under his pillow for the phone, but Billy beats him to it by handing it to him. There’s a moment of quiet as he scrolls through the messages. He shakes his head and closes his eyes. “Sorry. Sorry. The hydrocodone sometimes knocks me out. Didn’t mean to make you worry.”  
  
“Yeah, well, we’re a team. You’re always going to make us worry. Just like you’re going to worry about us.” Kim rests her chin o their joined hands. “Now, are you going to tell us how long your leg has been giving you this much of a problem? What happens during training? Is it worse then?”

Scott takes that has a cue to step away, heading over to the crock pot to double check the amount. Maybe he should make some pasta and sauce if two more teenagers are coming over? Granted, he hasn’t even extended the offer of dinner to these two already in his house. He might be getting ahead of himself.

Just as he heads to his office, the doorbell rings again. He shouts that he’s got it and answers it. Before him stands two more teenagers, one wearing a mustard yellow beanie and the other wearing a black jacket over a grey shirt. It would be completely obvious to be wearing all black, now, wouldn’t it? Yellow and Black. There we go.  
  
“Trini,” the girl says, looking a little bored and a lot worried. She jerks a thumb at her friend. “Zack. We’re here to see Jason. Is he okay?”

“He wasn’t in school,” Zack offers.

“Kim and Billy are already here,” Sam tells them unnecessarily. “And Jason’s fine.” Mostly. Not really. But why worry them? “They’re in the living room.”  
  
This time he follows them completely into the room. Jason’s sitting up now, sideways on the couch with his leg stretched out over Billy's lap. Billy’s sitting in the open space, hand wrapped around the ankle of Jason’s good leg, the other tapping out a beat on the arm rest. Kim’s sitting on the back of the couch near Jason’s head. There’s a bit of color to Jason’s cheeks now, but that furrow of pain is still there.  
  
“Hey, how ya feelin’?” Trini asks, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. “You had those two freaking out.” She jerks her chin towards Billy and Kim.  
  
Kim rolls her eyes, scoffing. “Oh, please. Don’t pretend you were any different. I saw you checking your phone in Bio. You were just as worried.”

“Are you okay?” Zack asks quietly, looking pale. “Really?”

Jason reaches out for him, grabbing his wrist loosely. Zack slides their hands until they’re tangled together much like his and Kim’s were earlier. “I promise. It’s just my leg. It’s been giving me more problems than usual lately. It’s nothing huge.”  
  
Lies. But Sam won’t call him out on it in front of his friends. Especially with the way Zack sags in relief. Either he can convince Jason to tell them the truth later or Jason will figure out what he needs to do on his own.

Or his friends - his team - will convince him otherwise.

Instead he says : “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

He’s met with stunned silence to that. Jason’s eyes go round and huge, jaw dropping a little.

“All four of us?” Zack asks. “Seriously?”  
  
Sam shrugs. “I’ve been cooking up chicken noodle all day. I should have enough. Though if all of you pack away food like my son does, I can always make spaghetti too. It’s no trouble.”

They all exchange looks, Billy looking the most unsure about it. Trini shrugs. Kim nods and thanks him. Zack looks a little more ecstatic about food and says yes wholeheartedly.

“It’s okay if you don’t, Billy,” Jason says quietly, raising his leg to tap his heel against his thigh. That startles Billy from whatever thought he was in, his mouth moving in silent words even as he nods. “Are you sure?”

Billy nods a little more firmly. “Yeah. Yeah. I want to stay. Chicken noodle sounds good. It’s probably not as good as my mom’s, but no one makes chicken noodle like my mom.”

Sam laughs. “I’ve had your mom’s food, I don’t doubt that for a second.” He waves a hand. “Do what you want. I’ll go cook up a pot of spaghetti.” He turns to leave. “Pearl! Come help me, please!”

“ _Coming_!”

He walks out of the room to someone singing inaudible under their breath and someone else snapping, “I swear to God, if you start singing that clapping song I’m going to slap you.”

Sam smothers a smile. He has a feeling his life is going to get a little more interesting and a lot more complicated, and he’s just on the sidelines at best.


	2. static

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training + Music + ...Butts? = Something Actually Kind of Funny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow i started talking about Jason's leg again. Next chapter, though, is all Kim and Trini and Pink Lemonade goodness. I hope you enjoy! I had fun writing this! (Oh, changed the Author's Notes for last chapter, nothing major, but if you're curious, take a look!)
> 
> Also, I have a tumblr! It's a mish-mash of stuff, but I think it's fun! Check me out at mikkalia15.tumblr.com (curse you, ao3, I can't link things to save my life!)

♥ **59 likes**

  **onceuponaugh** guess who made it to _#angelgrove_ for winter break!! No Ranger sightings yet tho its been sadly quiet (evil person attack pls? these things never happen only once tv says so) _#powerrangers #angelgroveca_

view all 12 comments

_**onceuponaugh**_ _@fandemonium_ most of the towns actually pretty put together. guess they’ve been workin double time????

8 minutes ago

 

* * *

  
“What is it this time ‘round?”

Kimberly smiles wide, a little mischievous and a lot evil. She sees Billy get nervous and Zack tense up. “Justin Bieber.”

Everyone promptly groans. Trini shakes her head so hard her beanie nearly slides off. Jason leans back against the rock wall and stares at the ceiling for some sort of guidance. Like Wall Dad Zordon is going to appear and boom out that Justin Bieber is banned from any and all things related to the Pit. Billy looks likes he's about to start sparring before anyone can decide _which_ Justin Bieber song Alpha 5 should play.

“No. Nope. I refuse,” Trini announces, throwing her hands in the air. “It’s bad enough I get Housewife Revenge Songs from Red over here,” she jabs a finger in Jason’s direction and he squawks in exaggerated indignation, “But I do _not_ need you poisoning my eardrums. I can _barely_ stand his songs on the radio.”

“Wait, you actually listen to Justin Bieber?” Zack cuts in, grinning. “Willingly?”

She taps her fingers against her thumb a couple times in rapid succession then _snaps_ them close once and for all. “You shut it. It’s called the radio.” - (“You could change stations!”) - “I vote no. I revoke Kim’s turn in Pit Karaoke.”

( “ _Willingly_ ,” Zack whispers gleefully.

“I’m going to punch you first,” Trini hisses. )

“It’s her turn,” Billy protests, on Kim’s side though it looks painful. “We agreed.”

“Do you really want to train to the same Bieber song over and over and over again,” Trini points out. “It could be that _baby, baby, baby_ , _ooohhhh_ one.”

( “ _You know lyrics_.”

“Punch. First. Face.” )

Kim holds her breath as Billy thinks about it for a second - if he says no then Jason _might_ agree to skip her turn this time. Might, being the keyword. It’s a game, sometimes, trying to figure out who’ll he side with this time. He won’t play favorites, but there’s an obvious leaning towards a certain Blue Ranger. Kim won’t admit to the flare of _something_ in her gut that coincides way too often when that happens.

(She _might_ be pushing it with Justin Bieber, though...)

“Jason, what do you think?” she turns to him, crossing her arms. He’s a little more hunched over now, rubbing absently at his thigh. She frowns, concern heavy in her chest. “Jason.”

He jerks, eyes wide and a flicker of pain across his expression. It smooths out to something a little more recognizable as Jason, Red Ranger, Leader, Weirdo. “What? Oh - yeah - sorry, Trini. Looks like we’ve got Bieber on repeat this time.” He grimaces. “Just….not any of his old stuff, please?”

Trini groans again. “You’re off the hook, Black. - _this_ time,” she half-threatens, then whirls around to face Kim. “I’m sparring with you first and I won’t stop until your ass is grass.”

“This ass?” Kim wiggles her butt at the other girl. “Why would you want to _try_ to kick this fine piece of booty?”

“‘Fine?’” Trini snorts. “Dude, you’re a _cheerleader_. You have _no_ ass.”

Kim gasps, hand over her heart. “Hey! I resent that remark.”

“Resemble,” Zack corrects.

Billy looks thoughtful as he eyes her critically. “From what Trini talks about, yeah, you have no - you have no butt. It makes me think of Jason’s.”

“Hey!” Jason touches his butt thoughtfully. “Leave me out of this. I _know_ I have a white boy’s ass, okay? Don’t rub it in.”

Zack laughs loudly, swinging an arm over his shoulders. They all ignore Jason’s wince of pain as he staggers. “Don’t worry, dude.” He pats his chest, straightening subtly so Jason is leaning on him a bit. “Flat or not. White boy’s or not. It’s still a pretty nice ass.”

Jason flushes, ducking his head. “Thanks,” he mumbles, barely audible. He waves a _get-on-with-it_ gesture. “Go on. Play your Bieber. I wanna try something new today.”

Kim gives him an overly goofy thumbs-up in an attempt to keep her from asking if he should sit this training session out. They’ve all been tip-toeing around his leg issue since he missed school at the beginning of the month. But no one really wants to see the expression that will inevitably cross Jason’s face when they ask about it, so they’ve been putting it off for as long as possible.

“What are we trying?” Billy asks before Kim can call for Alpha to start her song choice.

Jason wiggles his nose, squaring his shoulders into Quarterback Mode™. “You know how when we’re in our suits we do all those flips?” Everyone nods. “Anyone - other than Kim - able to consciously do it without morphing?”

Zack raises his free hand. “Dude, _yes_. I’m flexible.” He waggles his eyebrows at Jason, shooting Billy a smirk. Kim would almost feel left out - _almost_ \- if it weren’t for the look and grin Trini sends her.

“Okay, fine.” Jason rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning. “Other than Kim and Zack. Who can do a flip and not a half-hearted cartwheel un-morphed?”

Trini pouts, but Billy raises his hand straight up. “I can do a cartwheel!” he says proudly. “I definitely can do a cartwheel. I don’t see why I couldn’t do a flip without morphing. The probability of making it the first ten tries is...low. But eventually, yeah, I can flip.”

Jason beams at him. Oh, man, he’s got a nice smile. “I want to practice our more...aerial fights. Don’t think I can’t see all the flipping you guys do when we’re morphed. This one’s a goddamn frog.” He points at Kim.

She sniffs. “I prefer gazelle, _thankyouverymuch_.” She pulls off her running jacket, leaving herself in a two-layer tank top. Of course the bottom layer is pink. She’s growing rather attached to the color the longer she has a Power Coin. “So, what, me and Zack are teaching you how to cheer?”

“Basically. Sure. Let’s go with that.”

Kim meets Zack’s eyes over Jason’s head, seeing how she feels in his expression. “Uh, Jason,” she breaches carefully. She falters a little when his baby blue gaze is turned on her wholly, but she stands her ground. “Are you sure you want to do this today? Your knee - .”

He scowls. “I’m fine.” He shifts away from Zack pointedly, bending to unstrap his brace. “Once we get going, it’ll be like it doesn’t even hurt.”

“But it hurts now,” Billy points out, frowning deeply. “Jason - .”

Jason refuses to look up. “The pain’s not going away anytime soon,” he mutters. “Might as well work through it.”

“Jumping around is very leg heavy,” Trini says. She’s changed her boots for sneakers, bouncing on her heels. It seems her need to kick Kim’s ass has been derailed.

“I’m _fine_ ,” he says again firmly. “Alpha 5, play Kim’s song please!”

“ _Happy to, Rangers_!”

There’s a moment where everyone holds their breath then -

“ _Sick and tired of hearing all these people talk about / what’s the deal with this pop life / and when is it gonna fade out…_ ”

Kim laughs hysterically at their stunned expressions, dropping to the ground with her hands curled over her stomach. Jason’s expression just _lights_ up. Billy _clap-clap-clap-clap-claps_ his hands, bouncing.

“Hell, yes!” Jason pumps a fist in the air. “ _We got the gift of melody / we gonna bring it ‘til the end_. I love this song.” He spins around, eyes closed, singing along. After the first line of the chorus he laughs, turning to Trini. “See, not all Housewife Revenge.”

Trini chuckles. “Oh, yeah, totally my bad. How dare I assume.” She’s got her arms crossed, chin resting in the palm of her hand, and her eyes glittering in amusement. “By all means, continue.”

Zack looms above Kim, grinning from ear-to-ear. “Nice fake out, Pinkie,” he says, patting her head.

She smiles up at him. “Why thank you, Brain.” They watch Jason and Billy dance around for a bit, they both try a few times to get Trini to join in but she steadfastly refuses though Kim sees her foot tap and her head bob . “Keep an eye on him?”

He nods solemnly. “You know it.” He shoves a finger against her forehead, rocking her back. “Now, come on. How often to we get to teach a jock, a nerd, and a rebel how to cheer? This is gonna be fun.”

By the time the song repeats for the fifth time, Jason is less enthusiastic about _Pop_ by *NSYNC being the song choice.

It was his idea to use songs as a way to remember the specific moves they learn in the Pit - one of those “glorious” study tools the Tutoring Center tries to _shove down every student’s throat every freaking year_ \- but by the time they’re usually done they’re a) sick and tired ( _of hearing all these people talk about_ ) of the songs and b) always have them stuck in their heads. It’s not weird to have them singing various songs during class or suddenly find themselves halfway through a movement during gym while singing out loud.

Kim is _no way_ involved with this sort of memory tool decision. It’s not like chants and music were what helped her remember her cheers for six years. Nope. Totally not her fault. She’s not taking the blame for the increasingly annoyed look on Trini’s face and Billy humming a completely different song under his breath she hears whenever they get close enough.

Jason stumbles through a move he has down to a T, bottom lip curled between his teeth. She shifts to catch Zack’s eye, but he’s already making his way over to the other boy. Kim calls break, digging out water bottles and snacks, as Zack eases Jason to the ground. There’s frustration twisted in with the pain before Jason tilts his face towards the shadows.

Billy curls up next to her, pulling out his phone. “He’s going to be okay, right?” he asks nervously.

“Of course,” she says, her smile wavering. “Jason Scott. He can make it through the end of the world if he has to.” The words are heavy on her lips, but she doesn’t say if for Billy’s comfort. He doesn’t appreciate lies, especially from his friends. Saying it out loud, though, has something settle within herself, like they’re more truthful now that they’re given a voice.

“That’s what worries me,” Trini murmurs, collapsing down on her other side. Sweat glistens on her face, trailing down her neck and over her collarbone. Deep shadows hang under her eyes, the corner of her eyes looking pinched. “I've seen some of those videos from past games - remember when he broke his arm during the last game Freshmen year?” She shudders. “Just into the second half of the game and he just _kept going._ ”

Yeah, not a nice thing to remember. Especially now that she knows Jason so much better - and that, for awhile, the horrible games, the ones where Jason got hurt or the team did an unavoidable, spectacularly bad job, they kept being passed around the school as a backhanded way to get back at him for 'failing' the town. The memory of his arm just snapping is clearer in her head than ever before, to the point she swears she could hear the _noise_ of it breaking like a pencil dropping in an empty room. 

“Two loops,” Jason calls out. He’s sitting a little closer now, leg gingerly stretched out in front of him. Zack’s between him and Trini, drinking his own water. “And we go back to work.” His expression softens. “I’ll sit out for five more loops. Okay? Seven in total.”

Billy nods. “Twenty-five minutes and thirty-nine seconds. That should be long enough.”

Zack laughs. “How do you even know that? Do you have times of random songs in that big brain of yours?”

His eyebrows furrow. “Of course not,” he answers. “I counted the length of the song. I needed to keep track. It helped me time some of the assisted leaps.”

“Hey, no judging.” Zack puts up his hands placatingly. “I think it’s ridiculously cool.”

“‘ _Course we’re just fine / doin’ what we like / can we say the same for you? / tired of feelin’ all around me animosity / just worry about yours - .”_

Kim leans back, enjoying the cool stone against her neck, and listens to her teammates - _friends, they’re your friends. They don’t hate you!_ \- chat and the crinkle of granola wrappers. She lets the smile wanting to form spread across her face and she sighs contently.

“ _The music’s all you got / this must be / pop.”_

“I swear to God, I’m going to punch Justin Timberlake if I ever see him.”


	3. bricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trini gets nightmares. Kim gets nightmares. A late night meeting at the mine.

  
[ **Text : Jason to Trini** ]

[ _pearl says thank you_ ]

[ _why is she thanking you?_ ]

[ _what did you do? you didn’t punch Horace did you?_ ]

[ does that sound like something i would do?? im fucking offended ]

[ damn his name is HORACE? that poor jackoff ]

[ _...i rest my case. I hope you held back_ ]

[ hes not in the hospital is he? lay off i know what im doing ]

[ _don't doubt you for a second, bubbles, trust me_ ]

[ _ps just saw the vid. wall dad is Disappointed, but Red says /damn/ nice hook_ ]

* * *

 

[ **Text :**   **Kim to Billy** ]

[ _hey, you’re suppose to have AP comp with Zack right?_ ]

[ I think so. He didn’t come to class today again. I thought Jason was trying to get him to come more often? ]

[ _it’s a WIP_ ]

[ _but Jason’s thinking about taking Zack his homework & working with him._ ]

[ _u know, since he did AP last year like a loser_ ]

[ _do you have the notes from today? can you send them to Jason?_ ]

[ _he’s in head office that’s why he’s not asking himself_ ]

[ I’d offer to help Zack, but I have tutoring after school. Which Jason knows. But yes. I can text Jason pictures of my notes. Also, Jason’s not a loser most of the time. ]

[ _LMAO! I'm telling him you said that_ ]

[ Please do. ]

* * *

 

[ **Text : Zack to Kim** ]

[ _video link : pinkie and the brain theme song_ ]

* * *

 

[ **Text :**   **Billy to All** ]

[ _Anyone else have to put their alarm clock on the other side of the room? I’ve broken three already._ ]

* * *

Kim finds her at the mine around midnight, nursing a Redbull and her headphones on but not playing any music. Not now. She can’t handle it.

Trini ignores the crunching footsteps, keeping her gaze fixated on the gleaming lights of Angel Grove. There’s a cluster that’s completely dark except some late night construction. Normally it’s just as bright as the rest of the town, but with broken buildings and crushed roads, it lays silent as a grave.

“You know those are bad for you.”

Muffled, but still audible. Trini doesn’t reply.

Kim settles down next to her, pulling her legs against her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She’s quiet for a long time - when Trini glances over she’s also watching Angel Grove sleep. The December wind kicks up and they both shiver, but neither of them move to leave.

“We destroyed so much,” Kim finally says quietly. “I mean. Most of the damage is Rita’s fault. And Goldar’s. But - Jesus…”’

Trini sighs, pulling down her headphones and taking the last swig of her drink. It’s done jackshit for her, exhaustion clings to her like a heavy, sleep fog. “What are you doing up here, _princesa_?”

Kim gives her that secret, shy smile she only breaks out for her fellow Rangers. Trini clamps down on the warmth bursting in her chest. “I like that one,” she murmurs, eyes flickering back out to the horizon. Her expression pinches, lips twisting to a frown. “Couldn’t sleep.”

She laughs bitterly in response. “No shit.”

They fall into silence again.

Trini wishes - _wishes_ \- it was an awkward silence. She wishes she could pretend that the Encounter (Billy : “The Krispy Kreme Incident sounds more accurate, I think.”) never happened. That she never climbed down from her perch to see what the hell these weirdos were doing at the mine so late at night and why there had been a Goddamn _explosion_. Everything had been easier before - miserable, but easier. No nightmares. No super powers.

No friends.

But, God, and she loves her friends.

It’s only been a couple of months and they’ve only been tempered by fire twice, but she can’t imagine her future without these people.

She can’t imagine Billy not deliberately sitting so their shoulders brush as he messes with his tablet and she reads a book in comfortable silence, his eagerness and dry humor and brightness calling her like a moth to a flame. She can’t imagine Zack not casually flirting with all of them, the steadiness that comes with him being perceptive to what they really need especially when they’re down. Jason with his humor and determination, his ability to stand strong even when the sky grows heavier on his shoulders, - no matter how it worries everyone else - and that he can call her Bubbles and she doesn’t want to punch him in the face.

Kim with her smiles and jokes and coming up to a mine at midnight to not say a word when Trini doesn’t want to. Kim with her shy smiles like she doesn’t know how strong she is. Kim with her past and her mistakes like them all, and working through them with a single focus.

“I keep seeing her,” Trini finally says, barely breathing. “I feel water on my forehead and I wake up and Rita’s _there_. Hands around my throat, _squeezing_.” She shudders, closing her eyes. Kim leans against her. “She doesn’t kill me, though.”

The rest of the nightmare sits stuck in her throat. She scrubs her eyes, not crying. Not quite yet.

“Sometimes...Sometimes it’s my parents and my brothers,” she whispers. “She lets me go and downstairs they’re already dead. Sometimes turned to stone. Sometimes just bloody.” She sobs - suddenly, breaking from her lips without a thought. “Most of the time - most of the time it’s _you guys_.” Her eyes sting, her throat burns. “Billy’s dead, he never came back. Zack and Jason are tangled together and I can’t tell who died first, but I know - I know they died protecting each other. You’re still breathing, reaching for me. And all I can say is _sorry_.”

Kim wraps an arm around her, pulling her close to rest her cheek on the crown of Trini’s head.

The tears start coming, hot down her cheeks. “It’s different every time,” she says despairingly. “We all die separate, alone. Or we all die together - that no matter how strong we get or how much training we do, we’re never going to make it and we all die.”

Trini twists in her grip and curls against Kim’s chest, letting the other girl wrap her arms around her shoulders and hold her tightly. She’s whispering soft, comforting words to Trini’s beanie.

“I _know_ it’s just a nightmare,” she says. “I know. But I wake up and I just think _what if_? Rita said more people will come for the Crystal. It’s not over.”

“No, it’s not,” Kim says. There’s a hitch in her breathing. “But remember? No one dies alone.” She pulls back a little, making Trini meet her gaze. “It’s not the best thing. Or ideal. It’s going to be dangerous and life threatening. But no one’s ever going to be alone. _Ever. Ever_. It’s terrifying and scary - but the best part is that we’re all terrified and scared together.”

Trini lets out a watery bitter chuckle. “You really know how to make a girl feel better.”

Strangely enough, she _does_ feel a little better. The assurance, said so firmly and with no doubt. They’re friends. They’re together. No one is ever going to be alone again.

“Is it bad I’m more scared of losing you guys than I am of losing my family?” Trini asks. “My mom and I don’t get along, but she’s my _mama_. My dad. My brothers. But - .” She bites her lip. “If I lost you? Jason? Billy? Zack? I think I would die.”

Kim smiles tremulously. “I know exactly how you feel, trust me. Doesn’t make you a bad person. I think we’re all feeling a little vulnerable. We went through a lot of life-threatening shit together. It was bound to happen. Wouldn’t trade it for anything, though, would you?”

Trini shakes her head against Kim’s shoulder, letting the other girl run her fingers through her hair soothingly. She’s so _tired_ , but she’s pretty sure she’s not going to be able to sleep now either. But Kim is here. Kim will keep her safe, won’t she?

Wait. _Kim is here_.

This time she’s the one who pulls away. “Why are you awake?” Kim avoids her gaze. “Oh, hell no. I told you. You tell me. Come on, _princesa_? What’s up?”

“It’s stupid now,” she mutters. “Your nightmare was about completely selfless things. Mine’s selfish.”

Trini scoffs. “I highly doubt that.” She presses cold fingers against Kim’s jaw until they’re face to face. Her scarf is a dark maroon threaded with bright pink, it sits stiff over her mouth and she looks mysterious. Dangerous. “What happened?”

The corners of her eyes soften. “I dreamt about my Zord,” is all she says.

Her breath catches. Oh shit. That’s - Shit.

“Yeah,” Kim continues, trying for nonchalant and failing. “Yeah. I’m okay, I guess that’s all the matters. But I wake up sometimes and I can’t feel or move my arms? And my skin just feels like it’s on fire and I’m just _burning_.” She shakes her head. “We all burned in the end. I don’t know why I can’t just sleep.”

“I bet you a hundred dollars I don’t have that the guys dream the same thing,” Trini tells her, sounding a little harsher than she meant to. But the moment Kim starts thinking she’s selfish is when Trini starts to feel angry. “But you got the first _and_ worst of it, Kim. You’re allowed to be freaked out and scared. It doesn’t make you selfish.”

She shrugs. “The shit I’ve done? It’s hard to believe I can be selfless sometimes.” She holds up a hand before Trini can protest otherwise. “I’ve heard it from Jason already,” she says. “And somehow Billy too. I’m working on it. Promise.”

“Good, that’s all I ask for.”

Kim stands then, stretching until every joint pops with a sickening noise. She holds out her hand. “Come on. Time for bed. School and all that jazz tomorrow. I’m sure I can convince Jason to move practice to after dinner, but I don’t want to risk Mr. Anderson’s wrath of being late to class.”

Trini frowns - “You could just skip it all together,” - but takes the offered hand.

She...the threat of a nightmare still looms over her head, making the idea of going to her bed, alone, not very appealing. There’s still a partial dent in her wall and now her bed creaks in a way it didn’t before. Not to mention the crack in her ceiling barely covered by a poster.

“You’re coming home with me,” Kim announces.

“W-What?” Trini splutters. “Excuse me?”

“My parents won’t care,” she says, as if that explains _anything_. “Hell, my dad took off for a business trip last night. My mom’s clients keep her in her office, yelling about paperwork. And my bed is big enough. You’re coming home with me and that’s final.”

She starts to pull Trini along and Trini is so shocked she doesn’t even think about digging her heels in. Bed? What? How - ?

It’s only when Kim’s house comes into view that it finally occurs to Trini what might be going on and she’s….strangely okay with it? Sleeping in the same bed as another Ranger, feeling them breathing and warm, knowing they’re alive? It sounds like paradise to her right now.

She doesn’t even realize she’s shaking until they’re through the window and in Kim’s room. Kim’s shoving around in her closet, pulling out a large pink and blue shirt and a pair of Soffe shorts, tossing them towards her. Trini fumbles for them, if it weren’t for her new reflexes she would’ve dropped them then and there.

The smile on Kim’s face freezes when she turns around and sees Trini standing there just staring, jaw slightly dropped and eyes wide, glassy.

“What’s wrong?”

Trini coughs, clearing her throat. “I’m just…”

It feels so weird, wanting to say what she’s feeling. That she feels so loved and protected by this one simple thing. That she’s warm and never felt happier than in this moment right here and now. For so long she’s used sarcasm to cover up hurt or silence in replace of true feeling. But now? Now she can say anything she wants and she’ll be _listened to_ and _understood_.

 _Wanted_.

“I’m just really glad it was you,” she finally croaks out, “who got a Power Coin.” Her eyes feel wet. When Kim hugs her tight, suddenly so do her cheeks. “I’m just so glad.”

“Me too,” Kim murmurs, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “God. I thought my life was over, you know? That I had fucked up so much that my last two years in Angel Grove were going to be miserable and it was all my fault. I could deal without the end of life as we know it threats, but I wouldn’t trade the Power Rangers for anything else in the world.”

Trini sinks into her, pressing her face against her shoulder, leaning more of her weight until they’re swaying lazily.

Kim laughs. “C’mon, get changed.” She playfully shoves Trini into place, a little farther away and turned around. “Lemme find a toothbrush.”

She changes slowly, the shirt falling a little low but not too bad. She has to fight with the waist of the shorts so they stop folding over at the elastic, eventually giving up when she feels the little _pop_ in the back of it snapping back over itself. That explains why every single cheerleader and dancer she’s ever seen has them folded over.

Kim comes back with a toothbrush and Trini takes the couple minutes in the bathroom to calm her racing heart. Just because it _sounds_ nice to be sleeping next to someone alive and breathing, doesn’t mean she’s not nervous about sharing a bed. What if she snores? (Which she does, oh no.) What if she talks in her sleep? What if she  _still_ ends up having a nightmare?

Trini comes out of the bathroom to the lights off and Kim stretched out in bed, one arm thrown over her eyes and the other outstretched like it’s just waiting for Trini to rest her head on the crook of her shoulder. And she does just that, crawling into bed under the covers, wrapping one arm over Kim’s chest, tucking her other under the pillow, laying partially on her stomach.

Kim turns with a sigh, tangling their legs together. Somehow her arm ends up on Trini’s head, but it’s a light pressure and the fingers pressing through her hair make up for it.

She falls asleep to Kim’s heartbeat in her ear, low and steady, and her chest expanding and contracting with every breath. Kim mumbles something she can’t catch, her nose pressing against Trini’s temple for a second, lips brushing on her forehead. A smile catches on the corner of her lips.

And she doesn’t dream for once.


	4. square

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Putties attack the school and it doesn't exactly go... well. Let's just say, Jason really needs to learn how to stop.

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_ ONE DAY AGO _

* * *

The ground begins to shake, the building rumbles. Zack’s breath catches in his chest. He exchanges wide-eyed looks with Jason - the other teen clutching the desk with bleached-white knuckles - and contemplates their chances of getting out the door before lockdown begins.

There’s also the chance of evacuation - with how easy it is for buildings to crumble under the weight of strange monsters and crush the unsuspecting humans in the rubble Zack would’ve bet the school would lean towards evacuation.

He groans when the P.A. system sounds out the three tone chime that indicates a level three lockdown procedure (level five is a drill). Of course, one of the only days he comes to school and _this_ happens. Maybe - ?

Jason’s hand flashes out, wrapping out his wrist in warning. He gives Zack an unimpressed look when the Ranger glances up at him. Zack scoffs, a little annoyed and kind of impressed himself that Jason managed to predict his want to jump out of the window before he fully completed the thought _and_  shot down the coming snark on the tip of his tongue.

“Kim and Billy have P.E. right now,” he hisses, tugging Zack under the desk as the teach frantically tries not to start crying and a few students already start whimpering. “And they’re outside. Whatever it is, they’ve got it. Trini’s in one of the trailers for class, she could get out.”

Zack raises an eyebrow. “You have all of our schedules memorized?”

“Maybe,” Jason snaps. It’s only by sheer willpower Zack doesn’t snap something nasty back - that, and the fact he recognizes the fear in Jason’s expression, it matches the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

They’re stuck in a classroom full of civilians ( _civilians_!) and who-knows-what out there causing more damage to their already ravaged town.

“Bet they’re just putties,” Zack reasons, breathing carefully through his nose. Helen Williams starts crying now, hiccuping with a disturbingly red face. “It’ll be okay.”

Jason nods, already turning away to slide across the table to where Helen is slowly losing the ability to breathe evenly. He knocks his knee against the table leg trying to curl up next to her and Zack hisses in sympathy. Red ignores the pain, just the slight tightening  
around his eyes, and wraps an arm around Helen’s shoulders, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

Zack’s phone buzzes against this butt with a text from Kim. A quick [ _putties got it_ ] and he’s sighing in relief. It’ll be all over soon. Just some putties that got through their patrol. It’s not the first time, won’t be the last. It’s annoying, yeah, but not the end of the world.

Even Helen’s calming down, shaking hands fiddling with her inhaler. Jason whispers something else, making her nod, and then he’s scooting back towards Zack, grimacing.

“Have you gotten that checked out yet,” Zack asks, jerking his chin towards his knee. “Dude, it’s been a couple months already.”

Jason shrugs. “Couldn’t get an appointment ‘til after winter break,” he mutters, curling and uncurling his hand against his thigh like he wants to start rubbing at the injury but can’t. What Zack can’t figure it is why not. “It hurts less when we’re morphed.”

“We don’t wear our armor when we’re training,” he points out. He knows he’s not the first one to say so.

“Hurts less when we’re training.” Jason claps his shoulder. “Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

The building rumbles again before Zack can say anything. Plaster dust rains from the ceiling, coating the math tables with a fine white powder. There’s a crashing noise and metal clanging together. It’s loud and ringing, piercing his ear drums. He chokes, slamming his hands over his ears and squeezing his eyes shut, curling his back until his forehead’s pressed against the tile.

Jason’s weight is a comforting feeling that descends over his back, muffling the sound and even more so when cold fingers press over his own to create an even tighter seal of silence. Even so, the pain drilling into his ear drums makes him whimper.

A breath brushes against this temple before Jason’s chin is resting there at his hairline. He can barely hear it through their combined hands, but every now and then he hears a soft word. He can’t piece together what he’s saying, to be honest, even as the ringing goes dies down and his shoulders slowly relax. It’s soothing and distracting, giving him time to get a hold of his control.

Jason slides his hands away, not moving with them. His hooks his thumbs on Zack’s fingers, pulling them away as well. “Better?” he murmurs.

Zack nods, gasping a little. Everything’s still a little too loud, but, yeah, it’s better. Almost normal.

Almost, being the keyword, because he can hear the subtle sounds of more than a few putties getting closer and closer to their classroom. His Coin burns hot in his pocket. He feels Jason flinch, telling him that Red’s Coin is reacting too.

“They’re coming this way,” Zack says. “ _Tā māde_.” He glances at the ten other other students who managed to make it to class today. “We’ve gotta get them out of here.”

“Not through the door,” Jason says, a little despairingly. Zack glances at him in time to see him roll his eyes. “Your wish has been granted - to the window. ( _to the wall_ ).”

Zack gives him a smile just on the wrong side of wild, a thrill going through his chest when Jason gives in to his own junkie and smiles back just as wild. He ducks out from under the table and shuffles towards the window as Jason starts rounding up the students with quiet whispers. Mrs. Jenkins tries to stop them with wide gestures until she realizes they aren’t listening - and that the stomping noise is getting closer and closer.

When she hears that she’s third to leave the building.

“Come on,” Jason hisses. “Lester. Hurry up.”

There’s the sound of a locker being crunched nearby. With the window open Zack can hear fighting and Billy shouting something - faint, which means a non-Ranger can’t hear them from this distance.

Oh man, he wishes he could morph right now.

They have eight of the ten students out of the building when the door and part of the wall is smashed into dust and bits as putties come busting through. The two left over - Amanda Clarke ( _of course_ ) and Aubrey Larsen - scream, clutching at each other at the base of Jenkins’ desk.

Andre slips going out the window, catching their stomach on the sill and letting out a grunt. Zack frantically grabs the back of their belt and hauls them out, practically throwing them to the ground - thank god they’re on the first floor -, and whirls around just in time to see Jason throw himself in front of the girls, landing one punch to a putty that sounds off with an awful crunching noise, then taking a full-on hit to the throat from the lead putty.

“ _Jason_!”

He goes flying back, crashing into the wall. Zack takes a step towards where he lays unmoving, but grabs a hold of himself and turns towards the cheerleaders sitting there frozen. He grabs Aubrey’s arms, yanking her up, shoving her towards the window. Amanda clings to the other girl’s sweater, stumbling after her. They both fall out the window, dashing out towards the track.

Zack morphs right then and there, crushing the lead putty’s head with his knee. Overwhelming fear sits high in his chest, his heart pounding, feeling light-headed. Jason still hasn’t gotten up even as Zack dispatches the last of the putties that made it through the school.

“Jason!” he shouts, not caring if it seems suspicious for the Black Ranger to be calling out Jason Scott’s name. There’s no one around anyway, fuck that shit.

Red flashes just over the desk and Jason’s stumbling to his feet, morphed out in his armor. He keeps a hand to the wall for balance, his stance wavering.

Zack vaults over the desk, popping out his faceplate. “Man, you okay? That was a crazy move there.”

Jason waves a dismissive hand. “F-fine,” he says. There’s something off about his voice. Zack furrows his eyebrows, opening his mouth to ask about it when - “Go,” Jason says, nodding his head, faceplate still closed, towards the fight out in the soccer field.

He hesitates. Jason claps his shoulder then climbs out the window, dashing off in a slightly wobbly line towards the main fight. Zack glances at the mess Jason’s body left behind, panic growing when he sees crimson drops of blood.

Jason’s already fighting a putty when Zack arrives, shouting one/two word orders to the others. “Yellow. Right! Blue, Pink - pop!” He doesn’t say anything to Zack, spinning around to jam his left hand towards the putty, sword forming just in time to cut into the chest of the putty, pulling up until the rock monster is partially bisected.

They take down the rest of the putties no problem, fully aware of the slowly encroaching student body too curious for their own good. Their whispered conversations, fearful but in awe, are a bit distracting, but Zack manages to ignore them for the most part.

What’s hard to ignore is the sounds of someone not turning off their camera shutter noise and _taking a goddamn picture._

Half a putty, somehow still mobile and close to the stupid gaggle of teenagers, launches itself towards the student. There’s a wave of screaming, the boy who took the picture falling to the ground as his legs give out under him in fear. Zack leaps up, landing on the putty’s head with a satisfying crunch. He grins behind his faceplate as more cameras start to go off. The boy on the ground stares up at him with wide eyes and when Zack reaches out a hand to help him up, he takes a quick picture.

“Red!”

Billy’s shout catches his attention, Zack turns just in time to see Jason dropping down to his knees, hand at his throat. He lets go of the boy, taking off like a bat out of hell towards the rest of his team - friends. Kim plants herself between Jason and the teenagers getting more rowdy now that the putties are gone and their heroes are so close by. Billy’s keeping Jason from hitting the ground even further, Trini’s holding his face (helmet really) in both hands.

They all hear the desperate gasping noise coming from their leaderfriendred - _Jason_.

With Kim protecting their fronts and backs with an intimidating ‘ _back off_ ’ vibe, Trini touches that spot just at the hinge of Jason’s jaw that causes his faceplate to dissolve. He’s got a bruise on his temple, but what’s wrong with him isn’t readily visible.

He’s still got his hand at his throat and that just sets off so many warning bells. Zack swears loudly in Mandarin.

Jason grins at him, teeth stained red. “R-rude,” he slurs out.

Zack chokes on his laugh. “You know what I’m saying.?”

“N-nah,” is the shallow quiet reply as more blood pools from his lips. “Billy g-googled. G-guessed sp-spelling.”

“Something tells me you should stop talking,” Trini says sternly, practically vibrating in fear. “Where are you hit?”

Jason raises an eyebrow at her, almost doing a good job at hiding the panic on his face.

She swears. “Yeah, yeah. Told you to stop talking.” She lays an open palm on his clavicle. “Blue, Black. Can you help him up? We need to get to Z.” She glances back at Kim. “We can’t do anything out here.”

Billy nods, already swinging one of Jason’s arms over his shoulders. Jason hisses in pain (“H-Hand. C-Careful.”), and moans when Zack grabs his other side. Trini makes his faceplate come back with deft fingers and rushes over to Kim to whisper something.

Jason stumbles, unable to keep his feet under him, his breathing getting faster and sharper. Billy drops all pretenses and just wraps his arm under Jason’s knees, swinging him up in his arms. Zack can’t help but laugh quickly before helping Billy arrange Jason so they’re both comfortable enough for the annoyingly long trek back to the Command Center.

With Jason’s head cradled against Billy’s shoulder, one arm thrown over his back and the other curled against his chest, it’s the picture perfect heart-breaking (or ‘cooing’ worthy) scene that Zack’s sure there’s going to be hundreds of versions of this online tomorrow.

Billy takes off running with his parahuman speed towards the mine. Trini pauses just a second to give the student body - and now arriving teachers and emergency services - a peace sign before the three of them are racing after Blue and Red.

Jason’s already laid out in the infirmary, morphed out of his armor and Alpha 5 frantically (or as frantic as a robot can be) handing Billy gauze to press against the oozing gouge in Jason’s throat.

“You’re an idiot,” Billy informs Jason just as the others’ armor dissolves. He’s still dressed in his blues, careful with the way he puts pressure against the delicate lines of Jason’s throat. “You shouldn’t have been fighting.”

Jason doesn’t answer him, passed out cold.

“His fingers are broken,” Billy tells them, looking a little broken himself.

Zack huffs out a breath. “I’ll set them.” He glances out to where Zordon is waiting for them. “Nose goes for Wall-Dad lecture.” He touches his nose. Trini next. Billy just gives him an unimpressed look, gloves covered in blood.

“Technically Jason was last,” Kim says, expression dark. “Or didn’t do it at all. Whichever. But I guess I’ll go.” She squeezes Zack’s arm and then tugs out Trini with her even with Yellow’s complaining.

“He can’t stay here,” Zack says, taking Jason’s wrist gently. His fingers are crooked and purple, Zack’s stomach rolls at the sight. “Amanda and Aubrey saw him get hurt. They’re going to wonder where he is. And you know how much of a gossip they are, the whole school will be on about it.” He pulls on the index finger ever-so-slightly and it cracks back into place.

“We’ll take him back home,” Billy answers. “His dad’s on the boat for the next couple of days. It’s just his mom and Pearl. Kim can explain what’s going on.”

“She’s gonna love that.” He cracks the rest of Jason’s fingers, ignoring the urge to vomit.

“Why’d he keep fighting?” Billy doesn’t even look at Zack when he asks, just keeps his eye resoundly on the staying-white-thank-god dressing on Jason’s throat. “He doesn’t have to go alone.”

Zack shrugs. “I guess that’s the problem. We’re all loners.” He sighs when Billy shakes his head. “C’mon, man, don’t be like this. You know it. Kim with her Alpha Bitch past. Trini and her jumping around schools and her family. Me with cutting myself off socially when my mom got sick. Yours isn’t cos of anything you did, people are just assholes.” He runs a fingers along the tendons of Jason’s wrist. “I don’t what’s up with Jason, what he was like before all this, but he just screams loner personality. It’s gonna take a little longer for any of us to use to all this - this ability to have someone to rely on and someone to call at one o’clock in the morning because of _something_.”

Billy presses his lips together and brushes a curl of hair from Jason’s forehead. “I’ll take him home,” he says. “I’ll meet you guys there.”

“Yeah...Yeah, okay.”

 _Be careful_ silent on his tongue as Billy cradles Jason in his arms and runs out without a word.

Yeah, well, this is great.

Zack runs a hand through his hair, pulling out his phone as he wanders into the main bridge. He ignores Zordon’s almost-lecture, sounds like Kim took some of the wind out of his sails, and checks some of the social media accounts he actually has. As he predicted, they’re full of the putties, the Power Rangers fighting, and the Blue Rangers holding the Red Ranger in their arms with a " _is Red okay?_ ” captioned somewhere nearby.

This is going to be a fun night, he can just tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sort tag to one of my other stories _synchronicity_


	5. pomegranate ( i )

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty, pretty Kim. Pretty, gorgeous Kim. Gorgeous, brave Kim, struggling with every breath she forces out.

Trini can’t breathe. The world around them is collapsing in on itself, but she’s frozen to the sounds of fighting, to her friends screaming her name. Screaming _Kim’s_ name.

Pretty, pretty Kim, staring up at her with her deep, dark eyes, glimmering ever-so-slightly with tears that don’t even have the strength to fall. Pretty, gorgeous Kim, with blood streaking down her face, bubbling from the corner of her lips, oozing out from the crushed breastplate of her armor. Gorgeous, brave Kim, who’s struggling with every breath she forces through broken ribs and ripped lungs.

“You c-can’t do this,” Trini says - pleads. Demands. Sobs. “I swear to god, Kimberly Ann Hart. You can’t _fucking do this._ ”

Kim just continues to breathe at her - tiny, gasping sounds. The corner of her lips twitch, like a smile trying to burst out from behind storm clouds. Trini’s own hand trembles as she cups Pink’s exposed cheek, her skin cold even through the yellow gloves of her armor.

“We’ve been doing this too long for you to die in such a stupid way,” Trini tells her, voice shaking.

“ _Trini_!” Tommy shouts..

She ignores her. “Kim. Kim. _Princesa_.”

Kim blinks slowly, breathing as deep as she can. Pain flickers across her expression. “A-Always….l-liked -.”

Her limbs lock and seize. Her mouth drops open in silent cry of pain. Trini holds her through it, holds her close when she goes limp, head lolling and eyes fluttering.

Trini taps her cheek frantically. “Always liked what?” she asks, voice high and hysterical. Tears are searing hot on her cheeks, dripping off her chin and landing on Kim’s pale - too pale _oh god_ \- face. “Kim - always liked _what_?”

Kim’s lips part, curving into that struggling smile, and her eyes drift to stare at somewhere beyond Trini’s shoulder. There’s a slight choking noise then Kim goes completely limp, heavy in Trini’s arms.

She stares - stares at the bottom of Kim’s chin because that’s the only thing she can see with her head hanging over the crook of her arm like that. Dead weight. Dead. Dead. Deaddeaddeaddeaddead.

Kim’s dead.

Trini's lip trembles. No.

“No,” she whispers. “No. No. You - You - How _fucking dare you_ -.” She sobs, cracking at the seams. She pulls her closer, bowing over her chest. “You - .”

It’s a struggle to pull air into her lungs then back out again. Kim’s eyes are just...there, staring at nothing. She should close them, shouldn’t she? That’s a sign of respect. But - But that would just mean that she’s _dead_ and - fuck - how can she be dead? How? How? _How could this be happening_? She -

“Trini!” Jason screams.

She looks up just in time to catch the blaster beam in the face, her vision going red then black.

Then nothing.

* * *

 

Then her whole world explodes into light.

Trini lurches up, gasping, choking on a scream. Someone’s retching in the corner. There’s the sound of heartbeats - four of them, just half-a-second out of sync. She swipes a hand over her face, swinging her legs over the cold, metal bed (?) she’s laying on. Her shoes are gone too, strangely enough, the equally metal floor frozen against her toes.

Tommy’s face is the first thing she sees - just the profile, her eyes closed in sleep, hair fanned out like a halo around her head. Electrodes are pressed against her temples, snaking down to her exposed collarbones. If she glances to her right she’d see Zack, a little to the left Jason, a little to the right of Zack there would be Billy.

If she twists around she’d see an empty bed that use to hold Kim - which is what she does. She turns frantically, eyes searching out the Pink Ranger with a thundering heart and a lump in her throat.

For a moment, when she sees the empty bed, all she feels is a deep, overwhelming, _unimaginable_ terror. Then the retching sounds penetrate the haze and she turns a little more to see Kim on her hands and knees, coughing like she doesn’t need lungs anymore.

Trini stumbles to her on legs more suited for Bambi than a Power Ranger, and practically throws herself at the other girl. Kim can’t take the weight and goes sprawling with a yelp. Her eyes burn, her hands shake, tears drip down her cheeks without her permission.

She grabs Kim’s face, hands on either cheek, and brings their foreheads together. Too overwhelmed by the soft, unlabored, breathing against her chin - too overwhelmed to do anything other than that.

Hands grasp at her wrists just a little too tightly. “Wh-” Kim stumbles, fumbling. “What happened?” Her voice is raspy, breathing out like a choke. “Trini…”

“ _Simulation end_.”

They both jerk at the voice in their heads, a whispering ghost of a thing. Trini gathers Kim close, protective against what neither of them can see. Kim clings to her, knuckles bleaching white, arms trembling. Their strength, bravery, gone.

Tommy gasps like a drowning woman, rolling of her bed to catch herself just barely in time. Billy yells, ripping off the electrodes on his temples. Zack swears in a mangled phrase of Mandarin and English. Jason’s the only one who wakes up with only a flutter of his lashes, a quiet question in Eltarian on his lips.

“Forgive us,” the voice whispers. Kim flinches. “We did not mean for our simulation to go as far as it did. Forgive us,” it begs.

Zack stumbles over to where Kim and Trini sit, dropping to his knees at their side as Jason swings his legs over the edge of his bed. He grips the metal edge tight, eyes dark as he stares at where his Rangers are slowly gathering.

“Why did you trap us in there to begin with?” Jason asks, an undercurrent of anger in his words. “What was the point?”

Weight descends on Trini’s back as Tommy presses her face between her shoulder blades, arms wrapping low around her waist to tangle her fingers in Kim’s blue jacket.

“To watch. To learn,” the voice whispers. “We were curious. We have never met ones like you before.”

Billy grasps Kim’s shoulder. She turns, pressing her face against his neck. They all move with her, refusing to let go of her. It’s one thing to just a blaster to the face like Trini - but Kim. _Kim_ , she -

“Forgive -.”

“ _You killed my Ranger_!”

Jason’s roar silences the voice. And the sudden silence telling. Even without seeing a face or a body, Trini can tell whoever trapped them here is shocked, probably even a little scared. Who wouldn’t be, when graced with the fully majesty of the Red Ranger? If Trini looks at the shaking Jason in just the right way, she can see the crackles of red lightning dancing along his fingertips, racing up his arms, bright in his eyes.

And he’s shaking. Standing now, fists clenched at his sides, yet staring at his team with such a dark look Trini shivers. She’ll never get use to it.

Kim laughs softly, slightly hysterical. “Red’s mad,” she mumbles. Her hair sticks to her forehead, slick with sweat. Trini pushes the lock away carefully. Tommy has an answering laugh against Trini’s back.

Before long they’re just a mess of hysterical, hushed giggling. Something softens in Jason’s gaze.

“We did not mean!” the voice insists, wavering in terror. “Please, Ranger! We did not mean! We only meant to examine the bond among you six. We have never seen such a thing. Your Ranger is - the pink one, yes - is not dead. She is whole! Please forgive. Please.”

Jason doesn’t move closer to them, just stands there far away. Too, too far away.

“She’s not dead,” Jason says softly, a bit dangerously. “You still killed her, though. She’s going to have that memory in her head for as long as she knows. Trini’s going to have to deal with the fact she knows what it’s like for Kim to die in her arms - only to be hit by a blaster herself. You’re very, _very_ lucky you’re not in front of me right now.”

_Rule number two : never escalate a fight - unless your enemy forces you to._

Trini considers this a good enough reason to escalate a fight, but she knows that, right now, Jason’s all talk. There’s too much fear and unease in the way he stands to be anything other than teetering on the edge of collapse.

“Forgive us.”

“That’s all you’re saying. Send us home,” Jason demands, voice never rising above dangerously soft. “Send us home now. And if I hear about you doing this to others? - Don’t. Don’t do it. Don’t let me hear about it.”

The voice whispers, once more, “Forgive us.”

Trini blinks once -

\- and they’re in Angel Grove, on the ground outside the gorge they use to jump into to get to the Command Center.

Kim grasps her tighter. “I don’t like dying,” she says, forcing a calm laugh.

Billy shakes his head. “Not fun, is it?”

Trini pulls her face between two hands again, fingers splayed gently only the delicate lines of her throat. “Thank God both of you came back,” she says solemnly. Then kisses her just as gently as she cradles her face, relishing in the warmth of her lips and the trembling breath exhaled when they part. “Thank God,” she murmurs.

Thank fucking God.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deliberately short, deliberately vague. Maybe we'll find out who the voice is eventually, maybe not.
> 
> Also, this piece is one of six that will be scattered throughout the whole of the story. This one takes place further along the time line than the last chapter, and the next chapter will take place in the present again (it will be Zack's Real chapter, as opposed to the last chapter which is from Zack's POV, but not the intended Zack chapter.)

**Author's Note:**

> I've read the Aftershocks graphic novel. And that's where the twins and Apex comes along. I may expand on it in other oneshots.
> 
> I've made Jason more or less physically disabled. It's less so when he's morphed (less so, not gone completely.)
> 
> This is just going to be an expanse slow burn of my headcanons, horrible cliches (read : amazing cliches) and tropes. I'm still getting the hang of their voices as of chapters 1 through, probably, 5 or 10. I've only seen the movie twice. So I'm sorry if things seem off. 
> 
> Each Ranger will get a POV chapter multiple times. 
> 
> It's a slow OT5 burn.
> 
> I'm debating on Tommy - though if Tommy does show up, she's a girl and totally transgender.
> 
> I saw a fic earlier so I'm clarifying this : Billy is not the asexual character. 
> 
> Social media will pop up a lot as world building. I even looked up the Krispy Kreme twitter to get a feel for it.
> 
> Uh, yeah. Hope you liked it! There's definitely more to come.


End file.
